memorizing scriptures

When I started going to church many years ago, I didn't even try to memorize scriptures. I felt like my brain would burst if I tried to quote a verse even though I heard one many times, like "God so loved the world that He gave his only son..." John 3:16. I still can not say it perfectly after so many years..But I know what it means and where it is.

Then when Vineyard music came into my life, I sang their songs and worshiped whenever I had a chance just like my kids listen to Hillsong a lot nowadays.. After a while, I realized I knew some scriptures mentioned in the sermon. That was because of the Vineyard songs I was learning. A lot of their songs are directly from the Bible. I was singing some scriptures. While singing Vineyard songs, I was singing scriptures without knowing it. I was hitting two birds with one stone! Nice.

Then I found out it is true that one goes closer to God when she/he is having difficult times. I was in a pit. My dear friend told me to be free in my worship time at home. Then she recommended to read Galatians because Paul's letter to the Galatians is about being fee. I was in trouble. I had never told anyone that I had a problem with Paul. Yes. Paul in the New Testament. He is difficult. He doesn't make sense. I cannot read his writing without being frustrated. But the majority of the NT is his letters. Ah...am I really a Christian? ( I knew I believed Jesus and my salvation has nothing to do with who I am, yet I was feeling I was not a 'normal' Christian because I had a problem with Paul.) I said 'OK' to my friend.

During that time another friend of mine was leading a women's group at church. The title of her group was something like 'memorizing scriptures'. I felt terrible for her. It didn't sound very interesting. I thought, 'I hope some people would come..'. After a while there was a women's conference at church. Ladies who memorized scriptures shared their testimonies and their memorized scriptures. It was not a verse here and a verse there. It was either an entire chapter or an entire book! I looked around. No one was asleep. Everybody's eyes were staring at the front, and everybody's ears were listening. There was a great quietness in the whole place. It was one of the most pure, joy experience I ever had.

It took me 3 years to memorize the whole book of Galatians. I said Galatians 1:1 over 1000 times!! (1:1 is "this letter is from Paul, an apostle") Now I am working on a slide show to go with it.

I am also working on the book of Revelation because I have a wonderful study tool: a CD set of Karen Heimbuch. My goal is to go up to the end of the letter to the seventh church. (chapter 3)

(edited from 9/4/2008)